Computing and Mass Mobilization

Peter Lee
Microsoft Research
October 2010
 Source: New York Times

Dr. Regina Dugan, Director

DARPA
 Launch of Sputnik in
1957…

…led to the creation

of (D)ARPA in 1958
• A mission-oriented agency
• Responsible for, or major contributions to,
– Space satellites
– GPS
– Miniaturized GPS receivers
– ARPAnet
– Advanced prosthetics
– Unmanned aerial vehicles
–…
I thought I was supposed to run a
computing research office…

• The mission I was given:

• Create a new technology office that will

– focus on technological surprise,

– “challenge the DoD world view”, and

– “create discomfort”.
The surprisingly disruptive effects of
technology democratization
The Hreckinridge' and Lane Democrats, having taken
courage at the recent eastern advises, are [xxxxxxxxxx]
energetically for the campaign: Several prominent
Democrats who at first favored DonoLea, are coming out. for
the other aide, apparently under the [xxxxxxxx] of Federal
[xxxxxxxxx]. An address to the National Democracy of
,1ifornia, urging the party to support HaeeslipslDas, has
recently been published, which manifestly bss strengthened
that aide of the [xxxxxxxxx]: It is signed by 65 Democrats,
many of whom occupy respectab e and prominent positions
in the party, 22 of them are Federal office-holders, [xxxxx]
more are recipients of Federal patronage, and the others
represent a mass of politicians giving the document [xxxx]
[xxxxxx] mTheDcu8las Democrats are also active The Irish
and German vote will mostly go with ths# branch of the
party, but it is [xxxxxxxxx] to [xxxxxxxx] [xxxxx] [xxxx] [xx]
the stronger. Thus far 17 IT newspapers have declared for
DonGres, 13 for Base$- IaaIDGS and 9 remain non-
committal, with even chances of going either way. Under
these circumstances the Republicans entertain not
unjustifiable hopes that the Democratic divisions may be so
equal,- ly balanced as to give the State [xx] LIaCOLV. Same
very [xxxxxxx] Bell and Everett meetings have been held in
different parts of the State, bat thus far that party does not
exhibit much rank sad ale air en.
Recaptcha: Luis von Ahn
Games With A Purpose: Luis von Ahn
fold.it: Adrien Treuille
10 minutes with the Secretary of Defense
Starting a DARPA office with
almost no money…
DARPA Network Challenge Results
• A total cost of $79,000
• Almost 4,400 teams from around the world
– Teams from Sudan, Iran, Russia, India, Brazil, …
• The winning MIT team found the balloons in
less than 9 hours
– Stiff competition from GaTech, NerdFighters,
many others
• 9 novel approaches used by the top 50 teams
• Results briefed throughout DoD leadership
1billionhungry.org
The Central Role of Computing Research
Investments in Core Computer Science
• Machine learning
• Social network analysis
• Large-scale computing systems
• Computer networking
• Computer security
• Algorithms and complexity
• Languages and program analysis
• CS education
Social Computing
Data-intensive Computing Systems
Internet Freedom and Privacy
Computing and technological surprises
• Computing has always been a force for
technology democratization…
• …and thus a source of technological surprises

• It even enabled a new computing research

technology office to get fully funded and
operational in less than a year! 
 What I learned

• We sometimes think of computing as being

about automation at scale
• But computing is also an enabler for
community-building and mass mobilization
• As people around the world understand this,
we should expect many new disruptions and
surprises
 Microsoft Research
• ~850 PhD researchers over 6 labs and several
satellite operations
– Labs: Redmond, Beijing, Cambridge (UK),
Bangalore, Silicon Valley, New England
– Plus External Research, Extreme Computing
Group, …
 MSR Mission
• Advance the state of the art in the areas we
choose to do research.
• When we have great ideas, work hard to get
them into our products.
• Make sure the company, and the field more
broadly, has a future.

• Roughly, the strategy: Get the best people, make

sure they are fully resourced, and then get out of
the way
 MSR Redmond
• The “mother ship” lab, founded in 1991
• About 350 researchers and engineers
– engaged mainly in open research
– opportunistic tech transfer
– organized into 8 broad research divisions
– plus an engineering division
• About 400 PhD student interns each summer
• Broad array of external programs and outreach
 disruptive

“Game-changing”,
“Blue-sky”, curiosity-
disruptive/surprising
driven research
developments

“Mission-focused” “Sustaining”, continuous-

research and tech improvement, product
transfer development

reactive

short-term long-term

Roughly equal emphasis on all three “lanes” of research

Thank You!